Jackie Chan reassures fans after recent photo left some 'concerned' about his health

Virgin Radio

9 Apr 2024, 11:11

Jackie Chan has reassured fans who recently became concerned about his health.

A recent photo of the Rush Hour star left some worried about the martial artist’s health after he was pictured seemingly looking much older than he had in other recent photos while at an event in Sichuan, China.

However, while celebrating his 70th birthday in a post on his Instagram, Chan addressed these concerns about his appearance by explaining his more aged look in that photo was “just a character appearance” for his latest project.

“Not so long ago, a lot of friends saw some recent photos of me on the internet, and they were all concerned about my health. I want to take this opportunity to let everyone know, don’t worry!” the actor penned as part of the caption to his birthday post.

“It’s just a character appearance for my latest movie. The character requires me to have white hair, white beard and look old,” he went on to explain. “Over the years, I’ve always been willing to try new things for a movie, no matter if it’s a challenging stunt or a breakthrough appearance for a character.”

On the topic of being a stunt artist in the industry, Chan also remarked in his post: “My big brother, Sammo Hung once said: ‘Being able to grow old is a fortunate thing.’ Especially for us stunt people, we don’t know how lucky we are to be able to grow old.”

He also added: “I’ve been in the entertainment business for 62 years and I cherish every moment because I’m lucky I’m still filming today… I love making movies and I love you all.”

The actor explained turning 70 is a “shock”, not just because of his sometimes dangerous career but also because he can’t quite believe he is already at this age. “Even before today, many friends have been reminding me: 'Jackie, it’s going to be your 70th birthday!' Every time I hear this number, my heart would stop for a second - I’m 70 years old already?” he wrote. 

But Chan is grateful for all the well-wishes, as he signed off his Instagram post saying: “A big thank you to everyone for all your birthday wishes. Hope everyone stays happy and healthy!”